Canadian Railroads > BC Rail in Transition, May 1990: MLWs and newGEs at Prince George

In May 1990, some of BC Rail's Dash8-40CM cowl units were already in service, and some were being set up at the Prince George shops.  The MLWs were also still in service, so this was the time that fellow California railfan Harry Wong and I headed north, along with Mike Repp of Washington, to witness and photograph both MLWs and the new GEs.  On May 16, 1990 we were allowed to roam the Prince George shops by the friendly BC Rail employees who gave us hard hats to wear after signing our releases.  In  these photos, MLWs and GEs co-mingle at Prince George.  Note the horn placement in the second photo.  BC Rail quickly discovered that with horns on the front as they came from the factory, the GEs wouldn't fit through the doors of the Prince George shops! The horns were soon relocated farther back as seen on 4617 in the first photo.  -- Eric Blasko



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/20 11:47 by AlcoRSD15.

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Nice images. I do not recall the issue with the horns not clearing the doors at the Prince George shops. Moving the horns back onto the car-body required approval from the government railway regulator. The decibel rating had to be of a certain level measured at a distance to be approved. I think the unions pushed to have the horn moved back account noise in the cab.
Doug

Maybe it was both. It was a Prince George shop employee that told us about the locos not fitting through the shop doors.  - E. B.

They fit fine if you are moving fast enough. 

Duane Karam and I were in and out of Prince George, BC railfanning the BCR and CN between May 18, 1990 and May 24, 1990. We saw and photgraphed BCR and GE deliver and setup the new GEs.  In case you are wondering Duane and I had system wide permission letters from the BCR which included with BCR engineer's permsiion for a cab ride.  I never did get to use that permission for a cab ride.  Between the middle 1980s and late 1990s the BCR was a great place to railfan.  Duane and I were up there so often that the BCR gave blank permission letters with the instructions to send the letters signed by us to the BCR main office in North Vancouver and they would then sign the letters, keep a copy, and send the signed letters back to us.  The entire proceess took no more than two weeks.  

The new GE's were delievered to the BCR by the CN at Prince George, BC.  Prince George was the place where the GE engineers were assigned on the BCR to setup the remote control on the new units and tend to any other problems that may come up on the new units.  Once the remote control was setup the new units could be then used on the main freight tains between Prince George and North Vancouver.

The BCR first 22 GEs were delivered with the horns in the rear.  But at that time BCR's horns were always on the front of the cab.  Before the units could be put to work the horns needed to be moved.  The BCR shop guys moved the horns to atop the bell bracket at the front of the cab.  A hose was then run along the engine roof back to where  the horn originally was located when it was as delivered to the BCR and attached to the air line for the horn.  Once this was done the BCR would use the new units local service  For example on the morning of May 24, 1990 we photographed the BCR 4601 on the point with two green M630s on the sound bound Mackenzie switcher.  By mid 1991 the horns had been moved back to there as delivered location.

One afternoon on May 22 or 23 Duane and I had very nice and failry long conversation with a gentleman who I think was the second in command of BCR motive power.  He was the person who told us all about the horns, GE setting up the remote control, how much the engines costs, I think he said $4 million Canadian.  He said the price included a 15 year warranty on the units and GE would stock BCR mainainence points with spare parts and consumables which BCR would only have to pay for when the items were used.  He also told us that the some MLWs had already been trade in to GE and that he thought maybe it was a mistake to trade in the MLWs and that the BCR should have traded in the their "no pull/ight weight" SD40-2s.  He also wondering where the last new GE unit, BCR 4622, to be delivered was at.  We told him that we had just photographed this unit at CN yard and he thanks tand then said something like I need to call the CN about this unit.

Both the CN and BCR giving permission letters to be on the property it was a great time to railfan both railroads between 1985 and 1999.  Even the CP if you knew the right people would give permission to photograph on their property. 

Thanks for all the fascinating info. We were there around the same time- around May 18 1990! BC Rail was the friendliest RR that I have ever encountered. After the Prince George guys gave us hard hats to wear while touring the shops, they let us keep them! I still have mine. - Eric B.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/20 20:06 by AlcoRSD15.

Just a follow up both the CN and BCR gave us hard hats to wear when ever we were inside the the actual shops.  When we outside the shops building the BCR never said anything to us about wearing hard hats.  On the CN in Toronto and Moncton you had to go into the shops to get permission and they always gave vistors hard hats and safety glasses.  The first time we ever got permission at the CN Toronto engine facilty and shops I ask the manager if there was any area in shops or engine facilty we should not go and he told me no area is off limits and to be careful and watch out for moving equipment.  The best part about having permission in an engine facilty or shopsi is that there was never a need to hurry. 

When I was photographing the small CN engine facility in Halifax after taking a few photos I need to use the rest room and I went inside the office area of the shops.  After taking care of business I walked into the office and asked the "boss" on duty if I could get permission.  He said to me that he watched me taking photos and saw how careful I was and that I was always welcome back anytime.  The biggest reason I have always felt the CN was so friendly in the Halfax area was that local railfans and photgraphers through years by their good actions while on the CN property showed the CN folks that photographers could be trusted and had earn the right to be welcome on CN property.

trainjunkie Wrote:
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> They fit fine if you are moving fast enough. 


most of life problems can be solved with the right amount of axel grease